Promoting the Land-Grant Mission

A land-grant college or university is an institution that has been designated by the U.S. Congress to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Land-grant institutions were originally created so that members of the working classes had access to public higher education. The University of Guam became a land-grant university in 1972.

Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific

Ranked among the top six out of 54 similar programs in the nation, the University of Guam's Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI) received re-certification and continued eligibility for grant funds under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984. WERI's mission is to seek solutions through research, teaching, and outreach programs to issues and problems associated with the location, production, distribution, and management of freshwater resources. WERI provides technical expertise, conducts vigorous research, and delivers both undergraduate and graduate teaching programs aimed at improving economic conditions and the quality of life for citizens of Guam and the regional island nations. WERI also runs a state-of-the-technology water analytical laboratory and geographic information systems facility (GIS).

In 2007, WERI faculty members were involved in 20 research and training projects with a combined budget of $808K. This included two special appropriations totaling $374K from the Guam Legislature and a $277K grant from the United States Geological Survey. The latter grant is made available through the Federal Water Resources Research Act and is used to perform water resources research, provide information dissemination and student training in the areas of freshwater resources in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. A total of seven research projects were funded by this award including:

Guam:

• Identifying the optimum land coverage practices for reducing soil erosion in the Ugum River watersheds using a newly developed GIS based erosion potential model, PIs: Dr. Shahram Khosrowpanah, Dr. Leroy Heitz and Dr.Yuming Wen.
• Land cover accuracy assessment for southern Guam, PIs: Dr.Yuming Wen, Dr. Shahram Khosrowpanah, and Dr. Leroy Heitz.

Federated States of Micronesia:

• Hydrological modeling of atoll islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, PIs: John W. Jenson, Dr.Yuming Wen, and Dr. Don Rubinstein.
• Watershed management for the Senephn Watershed, Pohnpei Island,The Federated States of Micronesia, PIs: Dr. Shahram Khosrowpanah, Dr. Leroy F. Heitz and Dr. Mark Lander.

Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas:

• Mercury contamination in Garapan Lagoon, Saipan: An evaluation of potential drainage pathways and impact on fisheries resources, PIs: Mr. Brian Bearden, Mr. Michael Trianni, Dr. Gary R.W. Denton and Mr. H. Rick Wood.
• Development of realistic residential and commercial water demands for use with Saipan Water Distribution System model, PIs: Dr. Leroy Heitz and Dr. Shahram Khosrowpanah.

WERI Advisory Council Meetings

The annual Guam-WERI research advisory council meetings were held in September 2007 on Guam, in October 2007 in Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) and Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia). The purpose of the meetings is to identify and prioritize the critical water research needs of Guam and the region which will help target one-year projects funded through the United States Geological Survey's Water Institute Program.

The Marine Laboratory

The Marine Lab has access to the most biologically interesting of coral reefs, and is the only U.S. University adjacent to the global epicenter of marine diversity.

Much of the Marine Lab’s research has management and conservation implications for Micronesia. This includes studying the reproductive biology of traditionally harvested inshore fishes, the efficacy of marine protected areas, and the ecology of commercially valuable invertebrates.

The Marine Laboratory is a member of professional associations that promote standards of safety and high-quality marine research, and coordinate information exchange between marine laboratories, policy makers and the public. These organizations include The American Academy of Underwater Sciences, the National Association of Marine Laboratories, Pacific Institute of Marine Sciences, Pacific Science Association, Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council, and the Marine Resources Pacific Consortium.

Marine Lab research projects tend to be largely field-based, ecological research, and often conservation and management oriented. Major concentration areas include:

• Conservation biology and reef management - Coral reefs are subjected to an increasingly diverse barrage of human-induced negative impacts. Understanding the effects of these impacts on corals and reefs is essential to finding ways to mitigate these effects. Hence, an important area of research at the Marine Lab includes the ecology of coral diseases and developing novel methods of reef rehabilitation by stimulating natural recovery processes. Marine Protected Areas are potent management tools usually established to protect fish populations, but may also be useful in the management of disease outbreaks or in finding ways to stimulate recovery from past anthropogenic and natural stressors. Finally, surveys of reef biota have been an important activity of Marine Lab investigators since the Lab's beginning. Quantitative assessments of algae, corals, macroinvertebrates and fishes on reefs of Guam and other islands in the Pacific are providing insights into the community structure of corals reefs and their biotic diversity. It is now becoming possible to re-survey reef areas that had been surveyed 20 or more years ago to assess changes, which may be attributable to human impacts. Faculty with interests in conservation biology and reef management: Terry Donaldson, Jenny McIlwain, Laurie Raymundo, Barry Smith.
• Chemical ecology - An important area of research emphasis at the Marine Lab is the study of marine natural products, biochemicals produced by marine organisms, which may have pharmaceutical applications for human health. Investigations carried out at the Lab are involved in identifying marine species that produce potentially interesting natural products, extracting and characterizing those chemicals, and cooperating with researchers at biomedical facilities elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad where potentially interesting chemicals are screened for their effectiveness as possible pharmaceuticals. Marine organisms produce these chemicals for their own use (such as for defenses against natural predators). Hence, another area of interest is the significance of these chemicals in mediating species interactions and influencing the structure of coral-reef communities. Faculty with interests in chemical ecology: Jason Biggs and Peter Schupp.
• Fisheries biology - An important area of research at the Marine Lab is the conservation biology of coral-reef organisms, particularly fishes. Faculty investigate reproductive behavior, mating systems, recruitment patterns and life-history strategies. Studies of the patterns of, and processes maintaining, their diversity are also important. Of special interest is the study of fish spawning aggregations and aggregation sites, as well as problems associated with the live trade in reef fishes (both food and ornamental species). The outcomes of this work are applied towards the design and evaluation of Marine Protected Areas, and the development of conservation and fisheries management strategies. Faculty with interests in fish ecology: Terry Donaldson and Jenny McIlwain.
• Coral biology - Another active area of research at the Marine Lab is the study of the ecology, evolution and physiology of reef corals. An emerging area of important study is coral diseases, whose spread and etiology may be exacerbated by human activity and global warming. Also poorly known are the evolutionary relationships between coral species, as well as the evolution of characters key to coral diversification and ecological dominance in the tropics. The relationship between corals and their symbiotic algae is another major area of research. The algal symbionts, known as zooxanthellae, are essential to the nutrition of reef-building corals. Elevated water temperatures can cause the loss of the algal symbionts - a process called bleaching - that can lead to coral death and reef degradation. Faculty with interests in coral biology: Alex Kerr, Dick Randall, Laurie Raymundo, and Rob Rowan.
• Biodiversity and systematics - Systematics is the formal study of the diversity of life. Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems in the marine realm, yet we know embarrassingly little about who lives there. In fact, on coral reefs it is not unusual to encounter a new and undescribed species daily; poorly understood species complexes and non-monophyletic higher taxa abound. Even Guam, one of the most well-sampled islands in the Indo-Pacific with over 6000 species and counting, has many large and common invertebrates lacking a scientific name. Consequently, we at the Marine Lab are interested in phylogenetic systematics and taxonomy of coral-reef organisms. Current work is concentrating on the fishes, corals, echinoderms and land snails. Faculty with interests in systematics: Terry Donaldson, Alex Kerr, Dick Randall,Tom Schils, and Barry Smith.

• Major Marine Lab Grants Received in 2007
• Assistant Professors Tom Schils and Alexander Kerr were awarded (with Lynn Raulerson, College of Natural and Applied Sciences) a two-year grant of $100,000 from the National Science Foundation to renovate the University's Herbarium and digitize its collections of terrestrial and marine plants.
• Marine Lab Research Associate Andrew Halford and Assistant Professor Jenny McIlwain were awarded a three-year grant of $312,000 from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assess the population structure of Siganus spp. for managing these heavily fished species.
• Associate Professor Peter Schupp was awarded a four-year grant of $410,000 from the National Institutes of Health to develop new techniques for isolating and investigating new compounds of potential pharmacological significance from microbes living on sponges.

Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension is a core component of the land-grant system, and one that ensures the university is reaching out to and improving the communities it serves on many levels. Cooperative Extension includes: Community and Economic Systems; Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Family, 4H, Food and Nutrition. Overviews of all three units follow.

Community and Economic Systems (CES)

• Guam Pilot Project for Healthy Aging - In 2007, CES-ECS was an important partner in developing, implementing and managing the Guam Pilot Project for Healthy Aging (GPPHA), funded through a $67K grant from the US Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). The project goal promotes healthy living and aging of Guam’s manamko through nutrition and fitness by providing timely and practical information on the value of good nutritional health and access to health programs. CES-ECS and the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) Division of Senior Citizens delivered nutrition education and fitness activities to 60 participants, 60 years or older, at-risk to one or more chronic diseases.
• National Emergency Grant-Base Realignment and Closure (NEG-BRAC) Project Update - CES-ECS, through a partnership with the Guam Community College ended an assessment of the Department of Labor, One-Stop Career Center (OSCC) programming environment in July 2007.The assessment presented a unique understanding of OSCC and its role in connecting employees and employers. The assessment provided the department with research-based information that can help shape future programming and strengthen services to meet the demands of the island’s growing economy in light of the impending US military build-up and the island’s evolving workforce. Result findings and key recommendations can be found in the publication Toward a Demand Driven and Customer Focused Workforce: Assessing the One-Stop Career Center in the Context of the Guam Workforce System.
• Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) Update - The 2006 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) in collaboration with US Department of Interior (DOI), US Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), Guam Bureau of Statistics and Planning (GBSP), and Guam Department of Labor (GDOL) findings established the ground work for a revision of the 2005 Consumer Price Index (CPI) completed in August 2007. The CPI revision better equips policy makers with more accurate data of the rate of price change over time. The CPI helps to identify which areas of the economy are facing sudden price changes thereby allowing them to carry out policies to mitigate those changes. With the HIES data, the CPI revision was able to capture changes in housing characteristics, education, marriage, and other valuable socio-economic data. The HIES data has also been valuable in revising estimates of the National Income Accounts.
• Guam Homeless Count - To address areas in the development, quality, and functioning of community institutions and social services, CES-ECS collaborated with the Salvation Army and the Guam Homeless Coalition in the Guam Homeless Count held on January 2007. The Guam Homeless Count is a point-in-time survey that collects information on the homeless population on Guam. The survey has identified the composition of the homeless in our community in order to address their needs, barriers, and challenges. The project also collects trend data over the past homeless counts to see the scope of homelessness on Guam with the overall intent of creating policies that will create public awareness and support of the homeless in the community. In support of the project goals CES-ECS provided training in data processing, survey methods, questionnaire development and data dissemination
• AboutFace! Pilot Program - The About Face Pilot Program is a collaborative effort between the University of Guam Cooperative Extension Service, Guam Army National Guard, and the Department of Labor/Agency for Human Resources Development. The project received $247K from Workforce Investment Act dollars. The pilot program provided academic tutoring, job and life skills training and work experience to young adults through the About Face curriculum developed by the Paxen Group in Florida. Eleven staff members were trained as About Face mentors, master mentors and curriculum specialists. In 2007, 27 students graduated from the About Face program at a commencement ceremony held at the National Guard Readiness Center. As a result of the pilot project, developments are currently underway to fully implement About Face as a sustainable academic remediation and job skills training program.
• Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Updates - CES-ECS provided logic model training to the Department of Public Health and Social Services, Division of Senior Citizens in 2007. Through the logic model process, agency officials were able to identify gaps in service delivery and help secure grant funding to address access to rural health among senior citizens. CES-ECS facilitation team provided strategic planning workshops to help members of the Guam Comprehensive Cancer Coalition develop strategic themes and program priorities. This effort resulted in the organization establishing a Guam Cancer Strategic Plan.
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) - The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) in collaboration with the Guam Public Health & Social Services (GPHSS) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia has been collecting heath data from the residents of Guam since March 2007. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is world's largest on-going telephone health survey system, which tracks health conditions and behaviors in the nation. BRFSS provides state specific prevalence data in asthma, diabetes, health care access, alcohol use, tobacco use, hypertension, obesity, nutrition, physical activity and other valuable information that will help local leaders and policy makers make better decisions that affect the communitiy. The project received $110K from GPHSS to include Guam's community data in the study. Economic and Community Systems (ECS) continues to provide ongoing support to GPHSS with data processing; capacity instruction through enumeration trainings; and project management.

Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR)

Agriculture and Natural Resources is one of the units within the University of Guam’s Cooperative Extension Service. The mission of ANR is to use extension education practices to increase efficiency of production, distribution, and consumption of Guam’s agriculture products while safe guarding and management of natural resources. The unit provides diagnostic services for identifying pests and recommending control strategies. ANR also provides pesticide applicator training for farmers, landscapers, pest control operators, and the general public.

• Agriculture and Natural Resources Dededo Breeding Facility

The University of Guam in cooperation with the Guam Department of Agriculture conducted a demonstration at the Dededo Breeding Facility. One of the goals of this joint project is to build the capacity of the farmers and the community outreach program by sharing of resources such as land, equipment, and technical expertise. Some activities include: multipurpose windbreaks; water catchments; sloping dry litter and deep litter animal waste management systems; container gardening; egg production; and hatchery operations. A variety of conservation practices were demonstrated such as mulching, composting, cover crops, living mulches, multi-use windbreaks, portable chicken and hog tractors, dry litter systems, and drip irrigation. This facility offers a training venue for the Guam’s youth, farmers, agriculture professionals and homeowners to learn sustainable agriculture and soil and water conservation practices that are important in protecting our limited island resources.

• WSARE Sub-regional Conference

In October, ANR hosted the first Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) Sub-regional Conference. The $50,000 conference grant was award to Guam through a competitive process. The two-day conference was entitled, “Sustaining Pacific Island Agriculture, Celebrating Our Successes Charting Our Future.” The conference showcased WSARE successes during the past 20 years and mapped directions for the next decade. WSARE representatives learned first hand the unique needs and issues of American’s Pacific islands. Part of the grant included a needs assessment on sustainability of agriculture for the Pacific island region and the development of target programs to ensure a healthly agricultural environment for the next decade.

• Plant Health Clinic

In January 2007, Roger Brown identified an invasive fungal disease of orchid (Black Rot of Orchid caused by the fungus Phytophthora palmivora) on an imported orchid sample from Thailand. After informing the Plant Inspection Station (USDA/APHIS), the nursery was quarantined and approximately 1000 plants were destroyed in order to eradicate a disease that could have been devastating to the orchid industry and homeowners on Guam.

• Invasive Species

Agriculture and Natural Resources extension entomologist, Aubrey Moore, identified several new invasive insects on Guam during 2007. The most important of these are the acacia whitefly, Trialeurodes acaciae (Hemiptera: Aleurodidae) and the coconut rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The coconut rhinoceros beetle kills coconuts and other palms. It was first detected on Guam in September 2007 in the Tumon hotel area. A delimiting survey indicated that the rhino beetle is localized and may be eradicated before it spreads. Moore wrote an eradication plan to kill adults by mass trapping, and to remove immature insects and their food source by sanitation. The plan was accepted by the USDA-APHIS and is being implemented under the leadership of APHIS and the Guam Department of Agriculture using funding from APHIS ($160K) and the Government of Guam ($100K). Moore continues to provide scientific and technical assistance to this project.

• Agriculture and Natural Resources Workshop

Over 600 individuals participated in 28 workshops supported by the efforts of ANR and others. Workshop topics included, swine management, organic gardening, windbreaks, pest detections, pesticide safety, no-till farming, grafting, quarantine, chicken tractors, medicinal plants. animal science, entomology, horticulture, and professional development. Workshops included:

• Twenty participants from the American Pacific region attended the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education –Professional Development Program Regional Workshop. Participants were trained in the transfer of research based knowledge on agriculture in the American Pacific region. Results and impacts of various grants in the region were also presented.
• Five Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) workshops were conducted in 2007 in collaboration with the Guam Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, 122 individuals were certified as Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicators and 37 recertified.
• Eight Conservation Security Program demonstrations on no-till farming were held in collaboration with Natural Resources Conservation Service. Over 100 individuals attended the demonstrations.
• One hundred and twenty individuals attended the Windbreak Workshop that was held in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture.
• Forty individuals were certified during a First Detector Training workshop which educated individuals on detecting new invasive species.

• Agriculture and Natural Resources Ongoing Grants $798K

• $513K from USDA –Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Sustainable Conservation Innovation and Education for New Tropical Island Farms through Intra-agency Collaboration (SCIENTIFIC).
• $12K grant from the Western Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education Professional Development Program for Statewide Strategic Plan Implementation in Sustainable Agriculture, to promote adoption of sustainable agriculture practices.
• $6K grant from the SARE - Farmer Rancher Grant for the demonstration of multi-crops on plant beds on Guam.
• $90K grant from Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education for capacity building and training in commercial aquaculture for Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa.
• $74.5K grant from Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education for the transfer of research based knowledge in agriculture in the American Pacific.
• $24.6K grant from Sanctuary Inc. for the Fan Macho’cho Healing Farms project to develop 60 hours of curriculum for youths on organic agriculture.
• $42.1K grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Guam Yard Project. To develop curriculum and demonstrations on conservation practices appropriate for urban environment.
• $36K grant from the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture (CTSA) to enhance commercial tilapia production in Guam by establishing tested breeding stocks, university based fingerling production with distribution of modest numbers for on-farm testing, and breeding and production protocols that are widely communicated.

• Agriculture and Natural Resources Receives $454.9K in New Awards:

• $15K grant from the Western Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education Professional Development Program Statewide Strategic Plan Implementation in Sustainable Agriculture.
• $50K grant from Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education to promote a broader range of understanding for WSARE activities, and also for the WSARE representatives to hear the unique needs and issues of each island in the American Pacific.
• $300K per year for five years for a 4-H and ANR collaborative grant from USDA to develop a teen entrepreneurship program for Children Youth and Families At Risk (CYFAR).
• $10K Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education a Professional Producer grant for “Maximizing Production Efficiency in a Three Stage Integrated Agriculture System using Taro, Tilapia, Aquatic Plants and Fancy Guppies.
• $18.5K awarded under an MOU with the Guam Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources to identify unknown insects collected during recent surveys.
• $13.4K awarded under the USDA Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) to establish pheromone detection trap networks for coconut rhinoceros beetle and little brown apple moth.
• $35K awarded to provide entomological services for the Guam National Refuge.
• $13K awarded to provide technical support for the USDA Decision Support Systems to Identify and Prioritize Pest Management Needs for Turfgrass, Cucurbits, and Potted Orchids grant.

Family, 4-H, Food and Nutrition Program , 4-H Youth Development Highlights

As of December 2007, the total number of 4-H members numbered 621, an increase of 204 members compared to the prior year. Four clubs were chartered in 2007, bringing the number of chartered 4-H clubs to 17 over a two-year period. The first 11-member 4-H Youth Advisory Council was established in November 2007. The significant growth of 4-H programs across the island depended on volunteers, who contributed 1,750 hours of their time helping youth become better citizens.

More than 500 4-H members participated in life skills based workshops in 2007. Workshops focused on subjects such as team work, self esteem, personal safety, healthy life style choices, social skills, leadership, among others. Additionally, 6,930 individuals throughout the community participated in team work, self esteem, social skills, and communication workshops, among others.

In collaboration with various military installations on Guam, 4-H successfully conducted 25 youth workshops with 414 participants gaining knowledge of basic life skills such as self-responsibility, teamwork, personal safety, concern for others, self-esteem, communication, learning to learn, social skills, among others. Two activities were conducted to support military children by providing communication tools to help them stay connected with their parents on deployment.

In October 2007, regional partners attended the Child Youth Family at Risk (CYFAR) regional curriculum and training on Guam. Partners participated in 20 hours of training in the following areas: overview of land grant systems, overview of the CYFAR project, CYFAR logic model training, module overview and training; overview of CYFAR reporting requirements procedures; and volunteerism. Fiscal reviews of project budgets were also conducted with the island partners.

Grants approved for 2008 include:

NOAA Reef Management Grant - $21K

2008 Monsanto Grant - $2.5K

2008 Health Rocks Grant - $30K

2008 Military Grant - $30K

CYFAR - $1.5 Million over 5 Years

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

EFNEP provided workshops for families with young children who are under public assistance programs. Topics of the workshops relate to diet, health, the need to increase physical activity, budgeting, menu planning and food safety. The program also offered nutrition education lessons for the youth, food demonstrations, and information displays at annual health fairs. Program highlights for 2007 include:

• 87 Adults participated in the Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program - 83% of clients completed the 10 hour program.
• 1,600 youths participated in the EFNEP nutrition education lessons organized through public and private schools as well as after programs and youth camps/organizations.
• 84 Adult volunteers (teachers, aides and school nurses) assisted in the youth nutrition education workshops.
• 1,728 contacts were made directly through community outreach activities which included: nutrition / program promotion presentations at conferences, mall events, annual health/fitness fairs, and College Success Seminar classes. Hundreds of individuals received nutrition information through these food demonstrations at village festivals and monthly in-store food demonstrations.

Food Safety Highlights

Food-borne illness outbreaks and cases on Guam are much higher compared to the United States mainland, so several awareness and educational activities were launched in 2007 to improve food handling procedures in order to reduce the number of food-borne illnesses. Activities included displays in malls, food safety workshops, distribution of brochures, workshops for 4-H programs, media articles, and participation in the Guam Food Safety Task Force Committee.

USDA CSREES NIFSI Kelaguen Food Safety Project - During last two decades, kelaguen, a favorite local dish, has been associated with a high number of food borne illness outbreaks and cases on Guam. Project investigators researched pathogen survival in kelaguen preparation and found that certain quantities of lemon inhibited pathogen growth at ambient temperatures. To raise awareness of proper kelaguen preparation techniques and ideal ingredients to prevent or slow pathogen growth, project staff developed and distributed an informational brochure; conducted workshops at the University of Guam; and participated in community fairs and outreach efforts at local shopping centers, among other activities.

USDA CSREES T-STAR Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Processing Project - Noni is a unique tropical medicinal plant in the Pacific islands. Various biological chemicals isolated from noni fruit demonstrate health benefits in scavenging free radicals, and stimulating immune systems, among other benefits. Project investigators found noni possesses an ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) content of 4 to 5 times the content of fresh oranges and exhibits total antioxidant capacity similar to that of cranberries and strawberries. Farmers use mature white noni fruits for processing into noni juice and powder. Processing technology affects the biological functions of noni products, so research results help noni farmers, manufactures, and distributors modify noni processing to improve the quality of noni products and benefit consumers. Project investigators completed analyzing antioxidant capacity and total phenolics of various mature stages of noni fruits and leaves, so noni producers can base their processing decisions on scientific facts. Information about noni antioxidant capacity was communicated to the scientific society regionally, nationally and internationally. This project is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), Tropical/Subtropical Agricultural Research Program (T-STAR).

USDA CSREES NRICGP purple flesh sweet potato project - Purple flesh sweet potato is a unique tropical and subtropical crop. The unique pigment called acylated anthocyanins in purple-flesh sweet potato exhibits health benefits such as radical -scavenging activity, and restoring liver function and blood pressure. Project investigators observe steamed purple sweet potatoes retained high level of anthocyanin content and recommend consumption of cooked purple-flesh sweet potatoes for health benefits. Anthocyanins in purple sweet potato are pigments that have potential to use as a natural colorant in formulated foods. Research information may promote plantation and consumption of purple sweet potatoes in the community. The principal investigator is Dr. Jian Yang. The project is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSRESS), National Research Competitive Grant Program (NRIGP).

Western Pacific Tropic Research Center

Scientists working at WPTRC are finding solutions to issues faced by the people and ecosystems of Guam. Island residents benefit from this research in the form of new and improved foods and plants, a healthy and safe environment, and enriched lifestyles and communities. Research conducted through WPTRC underlies both academic and extension programs.

• Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Eradication Program - Entomologists from the WPTRC have been instrumental in coordinating the eradication effort of the coconut rhinoceros beetle infestation. This invasive species is an extremely serious threat to palm trees island wide. A delimiting survey conducted by Dr. Aubrey Moore indicates that the infestation is limited to Tumon Bay and Faifai Beach areas and there is a quarantine order in effect. Hundreds of traps have been placed in and on the perimeter of the area and clean up of breeding grounds is underway.

• Advances in Biochemistry Research - Dr.Thomas Marler’s continued research on Guam cycads is proving of critical importance in filling a void in the literature on cycad seed chemistry. This research may ultimately determine whether or not cycad toxin consumption can be linked to neurodegenerative diseases on Guam.

• Guam Cycads Make History - Guam’s native cycads are the first in the world to be genome enabled. Dr. Thomas Marler is using funds from a USDA grant to partner with the New York Botanical Garden, where Dr. Angelica Cibrian-Jaramillo extracts DNA from leaf samples collected by Marler.This accomplishment will allow long-standing questions about cycad history, taxonomy and conservation to be answered.

• Insect and Plant Communication Discovered - A grant from the National Science Foundation has resulted in a discovery that solves a twenty-year mystery: how cycads attract beneficial insects to help them complete their reproductive cycle. Dr. Irene Terry and Dr.Thomas Marler collaborated on this research and found that cycads attract and repel insects by releasing aromatic compounds. The results are valuable for understanding the origins of how plants began to use insects as agents for reproduction.

• WPTRC Expertise Utilized By European Organization - Dr. Thomas Marler’s was invited to Paris, France to share his expertise on cycads with members of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). Dr. Marler was recommended to EPPO by the World Conversation Union because of the important work he has done protecting Guam cycads from the Asian cycad scale. He was one of a team of experts who worked on the development of invasive species response strategies for Asian cycad scale in Europe.

• Biological Control in the Region - Biological control of invasive species is an earth friendly way of protecting crops from harmful insects and weeds. Dr. G. V. P. Reddy has been successfully using integrated pest management methods to control several invasive species on Guam and the CNMI. In August 2007 Dr. Reddy’s team released the bio-control moth, Melittia Oedipus on Guam and Saipan to control the ivy gourd vine, which is an extremely aggressive vine that has taken over one third of the land area of Saipan. He is also in the midst of the USDA permitting process to release another insect for the control of the thorny giant sensitive plant, Mimosa diplotricha.

• WPTRC Entomologist Helps Local Banana Farmers - Dr. G. V. P. Reddy and his team have evaluated several trap designs for capturing the banana borer, Cosmoploites soridus. Findings have resulted in trap redesign by Dr. Reddy that is more efficient in capturing the target insect. He will apply for a patent for this new trap design, which will be a great help to Guam farmers.

• Tramp Ants Identified - Researchers at the WPTRC were instrumental in collecting, identifying and coordinating eradication of an ant genus newly introduced to Guam. Workers from the genus Lepisiota fraenfeldi were identified by entomologists Drs. Ross Miller and Aubrey Moore after being discovered in a storage area for cargo containers at the Wonpat International Airport.

The Caribbean and Pacific Consortium

The Caribbean and Pacific Consortium is a federally funded project (USDA) that brings students and faculty who are involved in agriculture and food sciences in Guam, Northern Marianas, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The overall goal is to “Increase the quality of, and continuously renew, the academic programs of Insular Area institutions in the food and agricultural sciences.” This is done by: (1) Enhancing courses of study and degree program, (2) Advancing faculty development in areas of teaching competency and leadership, (3) Developing and use of alternative methods of delivering instruction, (4) Providing students and faculty in science-orientated courses with up to date equipment, and (5) Enhancing educational equity and strengthen students recruitment and retention.

Guam Aquaculture Development Training Center

The Guam Aquaculture Development and Training Center has begun to export SPF Penaeus vannamei broodstock to Asia. The first shipments were made last December and the project remains in its infancy. Export shipments have been made to several countries and the GADTC continues to work on obtaining certification to export on a country by country basis. Dr. Donghuo Jiang is an aquaculture extension agent and research director at the Guam Aquaculture Development and Training Center. Dr. Jiang has extensive experience in shrimp aquaculture and breeding, and interests in sustainable aquaculture. He has begun building relationships between the University of Guam and Chinese aquaculture research institutions.

Triton Farm

In 2007, University of Guam Triton Farm, an integrated demonstration farm, started to test various leafy lettuce cultivars and herb species to emphasize the importance of agricultural diversification in Guam. As an example, Ashley Randall, a student of the Tropical Agriculture Science Program initiated an evaluation of a popular herb, basil, under two different growing conditions: an aquaponic system where basils are grown on a floating foam panel in water which flows in from fish tanks where tilapia is raised; and the second method were basils are grown in pots in the shade. Several kinds of basils were grown and local chefs evaluated the varieties. During the study, the student gained knowledge of horticulture, agricultural engineering, entomology, plant pathology, aquaculture, food science and agricultural marketing. Triton Farm teaches students and community members how to use an integrated farm management system to ensure its sustainability and profitability of tropical agriculture. The benefits and constraints of farm research projects are shared with local farmers so they can adopt successful efforts and turn a profit. Individuals and groups in the community, especially farmers and school children, are welcome to the UOG Triton Farm as learners and volunteers.

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